Display rack



Qct. 4,

1932. F. MCKELVEY DISPLAY RACK Filed Sept. 20, 1930 1&1.

mim mmm Patented Oct. 4, 1932 UNITED STATES LOUIS F. MCKELVEY, OF INDIANAPOLIS', INDIANA y DISPLAY -nnox Application :tiled September 20, 151310. Serial Np. @$302. e

My invention relates to display stands, such as are used for the display of greeting cards.

There are several methods now used for displaying such articles as greeting cards, and all of these methods have certain disadvantages which are not pre-sentin a method which involves using my invention. The greeting cards are sometimes left in the boxes in which they come and these boxes are arranged on a iat'surface, which takes up a considerable amount of space for the display of a relatively small number of cards. Sometimes the cards are taken out of their boxes and arranged in vertical position in a rack comprising a. series of stepped shelves or tiers .of card-compartments; but the cards,`having their upper edges unprotected, very often get dirty, have their edges bent, or are otherwise rendered unt for sale. Further, in

Ysuch an arrangement, each card is partially obscured by the group of cards ahead of it. Again, even though these racks may be arranged to receive various different sizes of p cards, their usefulness is considerably hampered because many cards are of odd sizes which will not fit the compartments provided, and the sizes and shapes of cards vary widely. Moreover, when the cards are arranged in such a rack it is necessary for a prospective purchaser to handle a large number of cards in making his selection.

It is the object of my invention to provide a display stand which will permit the display of a relatively large selection of cards in a minimum amount of space, and in which the boxes containing thecards may be arranged with practically no limitations. By being left in their boxes, the cards are all protected against having their edges bent or getting dirty. Also, by my novel arrangement of shelves, the cards on one shelf are somewhat protected by the overh'anging portion of the shelf above while at the same time the cards are all fully exposed to the View of prospective purchasers. In case the boxes containing the cards are too large to be contained in the shelves, they may be set up at the front of one shelf against the front edge of the one just above.

.plurality of shelves 12. Fach of these shelves 'turned edges 15 are of advantage in securing the shelves to the side Walls-10.r

An embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanyingl drawing; in which: Fig. l is a perspective view 'of a display stand showing the arrangement of boxes on one ofthe shelves; Fig. 2 is a vertical l. transverse section showing the' relative position of the shelves; and Fig. 3 is a'somewhat diagrammatic section similar to Fig. 2 but showing a vdifferent arrangement of' shelves. Y' Devices embodying my invention may be made'of 'any material; but I contemplate making them of sheet-metal, and have shown a'device so made in the drawing.

In this displa stand, there are two end IwallslO, desirab y provided with flanges 1l Yi ,atl their rear edges 'which are 'integralwith the' walls 10 and extend toward leach other at right angles to the walls. `The flanges llare conveniently attached at their lower ends to a length of angle irony 17 which serves tolhold "TU the side walls 4l() in proper spaced relation. The flanges 11 and angle iron' 17 provide desirable reinforcements forv the side walls 10 land the display stand as a whole.

The side Walls 10 are substantially in the 75 `shape of a right triangle, but they may be in the shape of a triangle other than aV right tri,- angle,or of a frustrum of a triangle.

Between the two end walls 10 there are a is vr'conveniently made of a single sheet of metal, which has its longitudinal edgesturned upward at substantially right anglesto the bottom of the shelf to form a front flange 13 anda backange 14. The ends of each shelf 5 l12 andfof the back flange 14k are conveniently provided withdoyvn-turned edges l5 veither over their whole width or over part of their width,as is clear `from Fig. 2. yThese down- The shelves v12 are disposed between the yend wallsl 10A so thatthey are transversely-inclined; that is, they .are put on yan angle so r that the ycontents of all the shelves are clearly visible from in front of the stand and so that `it is unnecessary fora prospective purchaser to handle the cards or the boxes containing the cardsinniaking apselection.

In order to,providethisaccessibility kand fullness of display and at the same time conserve space, the shelves 12.are arranged in` front `edge of the end Walls 10-tl1e l'iypotenuseV overlapping stepped relation. The

edge of a triangular end vvall-providesra convenient basisv for the alining of the shelves. The shelvesare put in place with the upper edges of their front Hanges 13 inclinations to the horizontal, the bottoni shelf having the least inclination.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 17th day of'September, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and thirty.

' LOUIS MoKELVEY.

alined with and adjacent to the front edges of the end Walls 10,Y andare vso spacedhand so1 l j. Y

inclined that the back flange 14 of any one of the shelves except the top shelf projectsto` ward Vand abuts the bottom of the shelf just above along a longitudinal linenear the midf V15v vdlejofthat shelf. In this manner each shelf overhangs the shelfvbelow it and thus pro- -l Vvvides for the contents of that' lower shelf a certaindegree of protection from dust.

f ',Eachrshelf, however, is set back from the position of the one just below it, which aids in makingthe contents of all the shelves vis- V ible. In the event that aV boX desired to be Vnot provided with a baclrflange 14 as are the lower shelves, but the back edge ofL this top shelf is bent downward so that it will lie in a vertical plane when the shelf isin place,

and is then; bent backupon itself to provide 'a groove 16'in`which indices of the'cards and prices may be supported. Y y It may be desirable, instead of having all the shelvesv at'the same inclination', to have the shelvesrat different.inclinations,Vv as for instance to have each succeeding shelf from the bottom shelf upward at a slightly greater inclination than the one below it. I have l y illustrated a 'stand with shelves'so arranged 'in ig. 8. By this arrangement, all the cards which are placed on the shelves willbe more nearly perpendicular to the line of sight of a prospective purchaser.

" I'claim as my invention 1. A' display stand, comprising end walls, a plurality of forwardly and downwardly inclined shelves extending between said end walls, a front flange on each of said shelves, l

some of said shelves beingprovided respectively withback flanges, each of said. back ,55

lianges extending generally upwardly from Y the rear edge of its associated shelf and abutting thebottom of the shelf next above on a line intermediate the longitudinal. edges thereof, said shelves being successively setbackfrom'the bottom of the stand toward the top,"whereby the front edgeof each yshelf projects forwardly beyond the'shelf immediately jabove it.` f Y' 2. vAdisplay stand as deinedin claim 1 the shelves ofl which have successively 'increased 

